2007 October | Candid CIO

(8 votes, average: 9.75 out of 10)

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Why are large projects different?

Arun Nithyanandam -

Many people wonder why large projects are so different from smaller projects. In fact, we’ve heard people say, “okay, so the budgets for large projects are bigger, but wouldn’t you handle them the same way. Isn’t project management the same regardless of scope?” The relationship between a project’s size and its complexity isn’t a linear relationship. Bigger projects aren’t just bigger; they have more variables that can impact the project.

Let’s say that you have ten small projects which together equal the size and scope of one large project—both in the number of people involved and total budget. The large project will inherently be more complex because it involves a larger network of people, ideas, and resources. It’s fundamentally a network issue.

Small projects focus on issues that can be handled by a limited team of internal and external resources. It’s often very easy to define the projects’ starting and ending points. When it’s time for a meeting, it’s relatively easy to bring everyone together and focus them on the same vision.

Large projects become more complex because there are more people, more issues, and more resources that interact together—and each becomes a project node. The more nodes, The more effort it takes to manage the project to a successful delivery.

Let’s look at some of the major characteristics within large projects and why they needed to be handled differently. We can organize this list into three categories: ideas, people, and things.

Ideas

1. Functional gaps and unknowns
Large projects often begin with a vague idea and achieve critical mass within the organization.
Maybe an executive said, “wouldn’t it be great if . . .” or the community has expressed frustration that “there has to be a better way.” In many cases, a large project begins as a foray into the unknown—both in terms of existing legacy solutions and what the future should look like.

2. Challenges with change in scope
The project starts with a vague idea that starts organizational change and sometimes upheaval. It’s rare for the initial idea to become the delivered solution. As the idea grows into a project, new people will come aboard, new risks will be identified, and new functionality needed. During the planning phase, the project will resemble a fluid river rather than a marble monument. You’ll often hear “that was what we thought yesterday.”

3. Scope creep
Once an idea acquires enough critical mass to become a formal project, it’ll attract other ideas like a lint brush. It’ll be impossible to have a planning meeting without someone suggesting an incremental improvement. Additionally, when the project has located a source of funding, people may attempt to attach their non-related pet-project ideas to the large project.

4. Conflicting needs
Even when everyone is working on the same project, they may not be working towards the same ends. The people who represent end-users will have different concerns than the folks from finance, while someone from the IT team calculates the server loads. Generally, there’s no one group that’s “right” while everyone else is wrong. Often, the role of the project manager is to advise project champions on how to balance differing needs.

People

5. Organizational Dynamics
Large projects are prestigious. Many people will be attracted because involvement will enhance their career. Similarly, large projects also command a substantial part of the organization’s resources—time, money, and people. Everyone wants a piece of the pie.

6. People change during the implementation of the project.
Some people may leave the company; others get promoted into new roles; and even more transfer into different departments/projects. Each replacement means that someone new needs to be brought up to speed on the project goals, efforts-to-date, and current issues. The more people you have in a project, the more frequent someone goes on vacation, gets sick, or takes a leave of absence.

7. The Human Element
No matter what date you choose for a meeting, it’s rare to bring absolutely every key person and stakeholder into a meeting. People get called into unscheduled meetings by their boss. They also go on vacation, get sick, and take leaves of absence. When these unpredicted absences occur, it can have a cascading impact on decisions, actions, and timelines.

Things

8. Project may have multiple participating vendors
In addition to multiple groups within the company, large projects often require the support of multiple vendors. These vendors each provide key elements to the project, but their efforts must be coordinated together into an integrated whole—even when they aren’t used to working together as a team.

Next week on these pages: Sell Business to Business Users

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About the Author

Arun Nithyanandam is a Strategy and Management Consultant based in Silicon Valley. Arun has managed multiple multi-million dollar IT projects in US and Europe across verticals. His current focus areas are Enterprise Contract Management Systems (deploying Nextance proposal-to-revenue and source-to-savings solutions to help companies improve financial performance and lower risk) and Enterprise Content Management Systems. Arun works with CIGNEX Technologies, a provider of Open Source based enterprise content management solutions.

During his spare time (if any) Arun enjoys hiking and reading.

Arun is currently working on a book (co-authored with Bill Sherman) code named “Managing Multi-million dollar projects” to be published in 2008.

For the collection of all Arun’s articles, please visit Squidoo Lens Arun Says

(2 votes, average: 6.5 out of 10)

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The intrapreneurial spirit

One of the biggest concerns currently affecting CIOs and IT managers is staff retention. This is particularly noticeable when it concerns younger employees coming into the market with loads of ability and little patience for the traditional frustrations associated with climbing the corporate ladder.

Some IT leaders are beginning to realize that by letting members of this new generation be inventive, creative and imaginative in their roles (”intrapreneurial”), the possibility exists to solve two problems with one philosophy: employees are content and loyal because they have the leeway to express themselves in their work, and employers reap the rewards of their often forward-thinking projects.

The danger, of course, is that with more employee freedom comes an increased risk of wasted resources on those efforts that don’t lead to anything. The role of the CIO/IT leader is to seek the right amount of balance in this new paradigm for thier indivdual organizations. It will mostlikely take a fair bit of trial and error before that balance can be reached, but in the end, it should prove to be a boon to innovation and growth.

(4 votes, average: 9.5 out of 10)

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Canadian wireless technology triumphs

By Joaquim P. Menezes -

Notwithstanding all the dire predictions about the “end of the honeymoon phase in the Canadian mobile wireless sector,” and the longwinded laments about the many problems afflicting this sector – wireless tech companies in Canada have quite a bit to be proud about.

This was very apparent earlier this week when the results of the first ever Deloitte’s Wireless Fast 50 rankings were announced.

The rankings of fastest-growing wireless companies –based on fiscal year revenue growth over five years (2002-2006) – demonstrated Canada’s growing strength in the wireless arena.

A total of 13 Canadian companies made this inaugural top 50 ranking, while three Ontario-based companies broke through the top 10. BTI Systems Inc. ranked fourth alongside Tira Wireless Inc. (16,610 per cent growth), and MyThum Interactive Inc. ranked sixth (13,900 per cent growth).

Read the rest of this entry »

(4 votes, average: 8 out of 10)

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The power of IT failure

By Joaquim P. Menezes -

“To err is human, but to really mess things up takes a computer,” runs a modern version of the old Pope proverb.

The notion surfaced during my recent interview with Prof. Peter Carr, Director of the Masters in Management Science program at the University of Waterloo.

The focus of the interview was: IT project management.

Carr, who over the years has observed and analyzed IT implementations in many companies, noted that project failures are far more common than many care to admit.

And while there could be a whole bunch of technology-related reasons why a project unravels, Carr is convinced that very often, when IT initiatives fail it’s because of “people- problems.”

Often it’s because those spearheading the project cannot “coordinate a very diverse group of people, or because they lack the authority to do that,”said Carr.

Sometimes, he said, an initiative dies on the vine because it lacks executive buy in, or because key people in the organization don’t see eye to eye on the project.

Okay, so that’s the hard reality.

But on a positive note, “IT project failure” can also prove to be an invaluable learning experience.

As much as we should learn from those projects that are successful, Carr said, “looking at projects that failed probably teaches us far more.”

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(6 votes, average: 10 out of 10)

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Kickoff: Connecting the dots

Arun Nithyanandam -

In this post, we look at some tips and techniques that will allow you to connect with people to conduct a powerful kickoff. During the kickoff, the core project constituents get together and discuss the 30,000 feet level view of the project.

A kickoff event contains both show-and-tell and motivational elements. By the end of the kickoff, you want everyone within the community excited about the project.

Most of the stakeholder and the project sponsor community will be invited to the kickoff. This event provides an excellent opportunity to set the groundwork for the entire project.

Remind everyone that the stakeholders and business users will drive this project and set the functional requirements. You should emphasize that they will be an integral part of this project’s success. Even if you are the greatest project manager in the world, you won’t be able to do this alone. The stakeholders, business users, and sponsor must be engaged in this project.

As project manager, you will perform many roles during the project. You will level-set, manage expectations, and monitor commitments and follow-through. There are times when you will even play traffic-cop to coordinate the community. One of your most important roles is to build consensus. Analogies and stories are often very powerful tools in the arsenal of a project manager.

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(8 votes, average: 9.63 out of 10)

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Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 6: Points to Ponder

Arun Nithyanandam

This is a series of posts, if you haven’t read the earlier ones, please read it here.
Part 1: Overview
Part 2: Client and Primary Sponsor Introduction
Part 3: Supporting Structure Introduction
Part 4: Vendor Introduction
Part 5: Project Manager Introduction

Whether you’re a member of the client team or the vendor team, it’s important to ensure that the introduction of the vendor’s project manager goes smoothly.

• Who will introduce the vendor’s project manager?
• What must be said to establish the person’s technical competence?
• What stories can be shared to build credibility and showcase experience?
• What can be said to present the project manager as a likeable and trustworthy person?

We’ve seen entire vendor teams polish and rehearse the introduction of the project manager, and really, it’s a smart move. A well-crafted introduction will go a long way in building the identity of the project manager within the user community. It sets the groundwork where the project manager is seen as a leader and a visionary—someone who can truly resolve concerns and issues on behalf of the stakeholders, sponsors, and users.

Let the PM Shine

Once the vendor’s project manager has been introduced, it’s time to let that person lead the kickoff and present key processes:

• Communication strategies
• Adoption strategies
• Change management strategies
• Escalation processes
• User Boards

These topics provide a long-term foundation for communication and the ground-rules for future conversations. If you want to distinguish yourself through a successful project kickoff, you must establish communications and trust.

Next week on these pages: Shine, Shine, and Succeed.

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About the Author

During his spare time (if any) Arun enjoys hiking and reading.

Arun is currently working on a book (co-authored with Bill Sherman) code named “Managing Multi-million dollar projects” to be published in 2008.

For the collection of all Arun’s articles, please visit Squidoo Lens Arun Says

(8 votes, average: 9.75 out of 10)

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Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 5: Project Manager Introduction

Arun Nithyanandam

At this point, it’s time to introduce the vendor’s project manager. The client expects to meet someone who they can trust. They want to build a relationship with this person. Therefore, this introduction is too important to be left to chance.

Introductions are power plays

We’ve seen many half-hearted introductions that fail to instill trust or start a relationship. Here’s a classic example of an unsuccessful introduction.

“John Smith is one of our project managers in the company, and he will be managing your project.”

This formal introduction really says nothing about the person’s experience, capabilities or personality. The client learns nothing other than John’s role. Why should anyone trust John to manage this massive project—one that could make or break careers within the client’s company? Here’s an alternate introduction:

“John Smith will be the manager for your project. He has been with us for the last six years and has been involved in many critical projects similar to yours. Last year, John successfully completed a project where [tell a short story].

John is one of our best, and he has a reputation for making sure complex projects stay on time and within scope. Because I know this project is so important to you, I personally requested John to lead this project. In addition to his management experience, John really understands this domain and your sector. He’ll be a great go-to guy. He can provide guidance on process, how things are done in the domain, read the company, and suggest best practices.

John lives in Santa Clara, and he’s an avid white-water rafter and community advocate. Last year, he led a team of ten at-risk inner-city youths through California rapids. The teens called him Iron John. Whenever they were unsure what to do next, he had a calm and confident answer. I’m proud to call John a friend and colleague.”

This introduction is worth gold. It establishes John’s technical mastery and also showcases John as a likeable and trustworthy person.

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About the Author

During his spare time (if any) Arun enjoys hiking and reading.

Arun is currently working on a book (co-authored with Bill Sherman) code named “Managing Multi-million dollar projects” to be published in 2008.

For the collection of all Arun’s articles, please visit Squidoo Lens Arun Says

(7 votes, average: 9.14 out of 10)

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Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 4: Vendor Introduction

Arun Nithyanandam

This is a series of posts, if you haven’t read the earlier ones, please read it here.
Part 1: Overview
Part 2: Client and Primary Sponsor Introduction
Part 3: Supporting Structure Introduction

When you are done with the client introductions, it’s time to shift the focus to the vendor. Since these are large projects, encourage a senior executive from the vendor to make the introduction. You can ask a Sr. Director or a VP. In some cases, you may even ask the CEO to make this presentation. This high level of commitment gets the client’s attention, and it signals credibility and trustworthiness.

The vendor’s executive should cover the following topics:

• What is the vendor’s business and product?
• What is the vendor’s business model and sales cycle?
• What is the product roadmap—how is the product evolving?

This information allows the members of the client’s community to understand the vendor better. It increases the buy-in from the client’s team.

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About the Author

During his spare time (if any) Arun enjoys hiking and reading.

Arun is currently working on a book (co-authored with Bill Sherman) code named “Managing Multi-million dollar projects” to be published in 2008.

For the collection of all Arun’s articles, please visit Squidoo Lens Arun Says

(7 votes, average: 9.43 out of 10)

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Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 3: Supporting Structure Introduction

Arun Nithyanandam -

This is a series of posts, if you haven’t read the earlier ones, please read it here.
Part 1: Overview
Part 2: Client and Primary Sponsor Introduction

Introduce the Client’s Project Management Office

Next, introduce the client’s Project Management Office. Include everyone who will help manage the project (or elements within the project). Introduce the project manager from the client’s side—as well as any committee members, principal stakeholders, etc, and what functions they will be performing in the project.

This is when there will be a little more detailed introduction of some of the functions that the principal stakeholders perform in the company, and in the project.

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About the Author

During his spare time (if any) Arun enjoys hiking and reading.

Arun is currently working on a book (co-authored with Bill Sherman) code named “Managing Multi-million dollar projects” to be published in 2008.

For the collection of all Arun’s articles, please visit Squidoo Lens Arun Says

(8 votes, average: 9.5 out of 10)

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Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 2: Client and Primary Sponsor Introduction

Arun Nithyanandam -

This is a series of posts, if you haven’t read the earlier ones, please read it here.
Part 1: Overview

Briefly Introduce People

Introduce the people in the room first—present their names, titles, and responsibilities. Then, introduce the people who are attending remotely—via phone or video conference. Be polite, but don’t dwell on these introductions. Keep the kickoff moving.

Introduce the Project’s Primary Sponsor

Invite the client’s primary sponsor to speak about the project history and context. Ideally, a week or two before the kickoff, you should reach out to the sponsor and ask them to speak about the following topics at the kickoff event:

• An overview of the company, its business, and its operation
• When did the idea for this project come about? Who was involved?
• How did the concept evolve?
• What was the pain? What were the existing breakdowns?
• Who stepped forward to offer support or funding for the project?
• Which businesses/departments within the company came forward to participate in the project (describe their involvement)?
• Which groups will benefit from the project? How will they benefit?
• How did vendor selection occur?
o - How many vendors were considered?
o - What were the key decision points?
o - Who were the top three vendors?
o - How did the selection process happen?

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About the Author

During his spare time (if any) Arun enjoys hiking and reading.

Arun is currently working on a book (co-authored with Bill Sherman) code named “Managing Multi-million dollar projects” to be published in 2008.

For the collection of all Arun’s articles, please visit Squidoo Lens Arun Says

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Why are large projects different?

The intrapreneurial spirit

Canadian wireless technology triumphs

The power of IT failure

Kickoff: Connecting the dots

Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 6: Points to Ponder

Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 5: Project Manager Introduction

Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 4: Vendor Introduction

Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 3: Supporting Structure Introduction

Anatomy of a Kickoff: Part 2: Client and Primary Sponsor Introduction